Categories
Crops & Gardening Farm & Garden Food Homesteading Recipes

Recipe: Fermented Parsnip Pickles Are Tangy & Tasty

fermented parsnips parsnip
weyo/Adobe Stock

As the seasons change and our gardens are now (mostly) asleep for the winter here in the north, we turn inside the home and tend to do a lot more cooking and projects we’ve put off during the growing season.  

Once the temps drop, a switch flips inside me that gives me the desire to cook all things “cozy.” Root vegetables begin to make a frequent appearance on our dinner menus at this time as well. We enjoy roasting all types of root veggies, including radishes, turnips, beets, celeriac, rutabagas and sweet potatoes. Root veggies are also delicious mashed and eaten in place of traditional mashed potatoes. 

Of all the root vegetables, my mom favors parsnips. I have to admit that they aren’t on the top of my list, but I do enjoy them. However, I do love parsnips fermented and eaten as a pickle. This is also the case with radishes. Root vegetables are actually very delicious fermented and do very well in keeping their texture and crunch through the process. 

If you have some extra parsnips around from Thanksgiving, give this simple fermented parsnip pickles recipe a try. 

Yield: 1 pint jar (2 cups) 

Ingredients 

Main
  • 1/2 lb. parsnips, cut into 1/4 inch coins 
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed 
Brine 
  • 2 tsp. coarse kosher salt dissolved in 1 cup of water 

Instructions 

Wash parsnips and trim off the ends. Cut into 1/4-inch coins. Do not peel, as the skin aids in fermentation due to bacteria that naturally occurs on the skin of the parsnip.  

Fill a clean pint-sized canning jar with the parsnips and garlic. Pack the jar well without bruising or crushing the parsnips.  

Once the jar is packed, pour in the brine until the beans are completely submerged and covered by at least 1/2 inch of brine. Be sure to leave 1 to 2 inches of headspace in the jar (space from the top of the beans to the rim of the jar). Leaving some space will help keep the ferment from bubbling over during fermentation. 

If you have a small fermentation jar weight, add it to the jar to hold down the produce under the brine. Remove any small pieces of food that float up to the top of the brine, as anything above the brine will increase the risk of mold and ultimately the ferment spoiling.  

Wipe off the rim of the jar with a clean dampened towel. Add the canning jar lid and tightly screw on the ring. 

Fermentation 

This is a five- to seven-day ferment. Ferment at room temperature, ideally between 60 and 75 degrees F, and keep out of direct sunlight. 

Check on the ferment daily to make sure that the brine is covering all the produce. If any produce has floated above the brine level, use a clean utensil to push it back below the brine.  

Burp the jar daily. Unscrew the lid briefly and tighten it back on to allow any built-up gas to release (and avoid possible jar breakage or the ferment from overflowing). 

Taste test your parsnip pickles after five days to see if the they have fermented to your liking. They should be garlicky and tangy. If they still taste as they do in their raw form, allow them to ferment another day or two and taste again until they’ve reached your preferred flavor. 

Fermentation does not stop once the ferment is transferred to the refrigerator, however it does slow the process way down. The taste and texture of your fermented parsnip pickles will continue to change, therefore this ferment is best enjoyed within 12 months. 

Side Notes 

If you do not have a glass jar weight, you can improvise by using an easily removable, small, food-grade glass dish that fits inside the jar. Or, if you have a smaller glass canning jar that can fit into the mouth of the jar you are fermenting with, you can use that to keep the produce pushed under the brine. 

If you are unsure if your water is safe for fermentation, you can boil it and allow it to cool to room temperature before stirring in the salt to make your brine. You may substitute fine sea salt instead of coarse kosher salt if you prefer—the measurement will remain the same for this recipe. 

It is completely normal for the brine to turn cloudy during fermentation. This is a sign that fermentation is progressing as it should. 

This recipe has been adapted from Stephanie Thurow’s WECK Small-Batch Preserving with permission from Skyhorse Publishing Inc. 

Categories
Equipment Farm & Garden Homesteading

Use Fire Safely On The Farm & In The Home

fire farm
images by Frank Hyman

Fire makes a dandy servant and a wicked master. But fire in the home, farm or homestead will only become your master if someone in your household is careless. As my college suite mate told me: “Being careful means being full of care.” That one sentence changed my entire approach to life, for the better. 

Hopefully, everyone in your family and on the farm holds a similar safety view. That mindset is one of the keys to fire safety. Fortunately, many sources for learning how to be safe, such as Red Cross, exist, so I’ll leave you to them. Let’s then focus on the fun parts of managing fire at home and on the farm. 

Best Firewood

Once ignited, oak burns long and slow and puts out very little creosote. That’s what you want for wood heat in a fireplace or wood stove. Other trees comparable to oak include hickory, maple, beech and other hardwoods. But any tree that drops its leaves in winter—the functional definition of hardwoods—will burn well, if not as long, as oak. 

In the backyard of my first home, I dropped all the bubblegum-pink crepe myrtles and all the young pecan trees for my woodstove and opened space for a bigger garden. I gained heat, sunlight and muscle all in the same project. 

Evergreen trees such as pines and cedars—also called coniferous trees or softwoods—will burn but shouldn’t be used in a wood stove or fireplace. They’ll line your chimney with creosote that will eventually burn inside the upper part of your flue and could catch your house on fire. Evergreen logs and branches, however, can be used safely in a firepit.

Other sources of pine wood for firepits are wood scraps from construction sites—except for pressure-treated wood, which is full of chemicals that shouldn’t get in the air or water. Also, the many pallets that otherwise would be dumped at the landfill can be repurposed and used in firepits. Underground, they’ll slowly decompose and give off methane gas which is many times worse than carbon dioxide for causing climate disruption. It’s better for the environment if pine pallets that can’t be repurposed—for one of my Hentopia chicken coop designs, for example—should be burned for heat rather than dumped. 

fire farm

You may be able to get your hands on pallets made from heavy oak at stone yards. These pallets hold heavier loads of flagstone. The wood is already seasoned and free. If you can get a few of these pallets, stack them evenly, drop a chainsaw through them at a spot where you won’t hit any nails, and reduce them to chunks that will fit in your wood stove or fireplace. 

Kinds of Kindling

To get your oak—or other hardwood—logs burning requires a good fistful or two of kindling. For kindling you’ll want to use softwoods—aka evergreens—such as pine. Softwoods have oils in them that burn hot and fast compared to hardwoods such as oak that burn long and slow. Fallen pine branches can be broken up or pine logs can be split into slender pieces roughly the size of a carpenter’s pencil or a big carrot. 

Most scraps from construction sites are pine and can be easily split into sizes good for kindling. In other words, kindling is the intermediate step between fire starters and firewood. 

Fire Starters

You could spend a bunch of money buying the chemical-loaded fire starters that are sold in catalogs. Or you could just divert items from your garbage, recycling containers or farm refuse piles for free fire starters. 

Scraps of cardboard ignite easily and now that we buy so much online, I’m sure you have a stockpile handy. Pizza boxes also fit that bill, plus any fat drippings in there will provide an excellent accelerant. 

If you’re not re-using paperboard egg cartons for your own farm eggs, they catch fire easily and get plenty hot enough to ignite kindling. Dryer lint has a place as a fire starter as well, especially if you only wear cotton clothes. If you run lots of polyester (basically plastic) clothes through your dryer, better to just trash your dryer lint as burning plastic just creates pollution.

Even stale tortilla chips have enough oil in them to ignite and inflame your kindling. 

Newspaper is the classic home fire-starter. Local newspapers also play an important role in sustaining democracy and supporting small local businesses. So don’t forgo a subscription! And just think how satisfying it will be to burn up those editorials that you disagree with. 

The great outdoors around the farm also supplies free fire starters. Pine needles contain flammable oils. Other dried-out evergreen fronds—even spent Christmas trees—easily ignite. Culinary herbs such as rosemary, lavender, oregano and others all benefit from a springtime pruning to maintain their figure. Their fragrances and flavors come from oils that will ignite readily.

Stash any of these outdoor clippings in a container that keeps them dry and safe from sparks. Use them indoors or out to get your kindling going.

Fire Remnants

Once the fire has burned down and cooled, your fireplace, wood stove or firepit will have valuable materials left over that can be repurposed to, in some cases, save money. 

fire farm

Any chunks of charcoal, I scoop up and toss in the compost bin. That’s what stone age people of South America did and today we call it biochar. The microscopic hollow spaces inside charcoal make great homes for beneficial microbes. 

Toss them in the compost bin so that when the compost gets added to the garden the nutrients and microbes stored in the charcoal will benefit the garden. The charcoal also absorbs and holds water. 

Any ash left over that has cooled can be set aside and used as a substitute for store-bought lime. I apply firewood ash every year to the vegetable garden and the herb garden to keep the pH high.

I burn pallets, so I use a magnet caddy to easily gather up the nails after the fire has cooled. That’s a carpenter’s tool for gathering fallen nails on a job site. It’s on wheels, has a long handle and a lever that disengages the magnet so you can drop all the picked-up nails into a bucket or nursery pot.

Once or twice a year I take all my metal scraps to a scrap yard to sell, then buy cool bits of metal for neat trellises and other projects and grab lunch at a nearby BBQ joint. It’s important to have fun little rituals like that as part of sustaining a happy homestead. And what better rituals are there than safely keeping the home fires burning?  

Home Fire Safety

One day, I looked at our home fire extinguisher and wondered if buying the cheapest one had been a dumb idea. I found a local vendor and bought two much better extinguishers: one for the kitchen and one near the wood stove.

They weigh about 10 pounds each and cost about $70 apiece. I felt a lot better. 

But I didn’t want the old cheap-as-heck extinguisher to go to waste. So when our teenage niece came to visit, I figured it was a good time for us all to practice putting out fires. We took the cheap, 2-pound extinguisher outside, learned how to pull the pin on it, aim at the bottom of the fire (or at the bottom of a tree in this practice session) and spray side-to-side for a few seconds each.

It was fun, exciting, educational and timely. 

About a month after our niece had returned home, a knocked-over candle set her family’s tablecloth on fire. She was the only one with the presence of mind—and the experience—to use the extinguisher effectively and put out the fire. 

If you’re doing something with fire outside, have a hose nearby with the spigot already turned on. Outdoor fires can also be put out with a blanket or with a shovel and a pile of dirt—anything that will deprive the fire of air. But indoors, you’ll want an ABC-type extinguisher that can handle every type of household fire.

And get something in the 8- to 10-pound range that will last long enough to put out common fires. Learn more about home fire safety the Red Cross site.

This article originally appeared in the Sept./Oct. 2023 issue of Hobby Farms magazine.

Categories
Beginning Farmers Crops & Gardening Farm & Garden

Full Cycle Projects Help Fuel Power Farms

Power Farms farm
Power Farms

When Rebekah Power’s sister-in-law asked her to take care of irrigation duties on her property while she was out of town, the task wound up igniting Power’s own decision to start a hobby farm.

“As we sat on her porch watching the water flow through the grass and the animals, we both knew we wanted our own piece of property,” recalls Power, who now runs Power Farms in Arizona alongside her husband. “That was the pivotal moment that spurred us into action to start looking at properties—which led us to where we are today, on 3.3 acres in Queen Creek.”

Taking a moment out from homesteading and hobby farming duties, we spoke to Power about the appeal of sunflowers and early hobby farming lessons. We also got into overwintered strawberries.

All in Together Now

 

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A post shared by Rebekah Power (@powerfarmsaz)

From the outset, Power recognized the importance of fencing when it comes to establishing and maintaining a hobby farm.

“One of my favorite memories from early on is when we’d load up the truck with snacks, water and the kids, and head out to work on projects in the back,” she recalls. “Since our main pasture didn’t have any fencing, we had to build it ourselves. Every Saturday we would head out and set posts until it was too hot or we were too tired.”

Eventually, week by week, Power and her family were able to complete the job.

“My oldest was a huge help running around to grab tools, and even the two younger kids could help here and there,” she explains. “But the most important thing to me was the fact that we were all out there together. I didn’t even care if my kids wandered off to play—just the fact that we were outside together working towards something for our property made it so meaningful for our family.”

Out of this experience, Power says she “learned to let go of the parental expectations and to treasure the hard work and time spent together.”

Spotlight on Sunflowers

 

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A post shared by Rebekah Power (@powerfarmsaz)

“Growing sunflowers was a new fun adventure,” says Power when asked about the prominence of golden-rayed flowers on her hobby farm. “I’ve always loved them: They are easy to grow in zone 9b, and my garden had plenty of space for them.”

Getting sunflower specific, Power says she started with Mammoth Sunflowers—”it’s so cool having them tower over our heads and droop down to drop seeds”—and that this year a friend gifted some Red Sun Sunflower seeds that resulted in “such beautiful colors.”

The Year of Strawberries

 

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A post shared by Rebekah Power (@powerfarmsaz)

Looking back over this year’s bounty, Power says that strawberries emerged as the stand-out crop.

“I planted one or two plants late in the summer last year and they overwintered and spread all over the garden beds,” she says. “It was such a treat to go out in the mornings with the kids and pick all of the strawberries.”

Admitting that it was “honestly hard to abstain from eating them all,” Power adds that the family wound up slicing a bunch of strawberries to top strawberry shortcakes.

Naturally, Power has already reserved spots on her land in anticipation for next year’s strawberry fiesta.

Full Cycle Fulfillment

 

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A post shared by Rebekah Power (@powerfarmsaz)

“I have found it so rewarding to have a project go full cycle for our hobby farm,” says Power when reflecting on the nourishing nature of Power Farms.

“When I plant seeds in the garden, grow greens that I can feed to the animals and then process the animals into food for our family, it is such a gift. It feels like we’ve been able to embody a practice that has been somewhat forgotten. We aren’t perfect by any means—but we try to do what we can and it is really enjoyable.”

Follow Power Farms on Instagram.

Categories
Animals Breeds Farm & Garden Poultry Waterfowl

Breed Profile: Get To Know The Welsh Harlequin Duck

Welsh Harlequin ducks
images by Erin Snyder

Welsh Harlequin ducks may be considered a relatively new breed, but they are gaining popularity across the United States and Great Britain. With their calm, sweet natures and high egg production, these ducks offer poultry enthusiasts so much bang for their buck.

History

The Welsh Harlequin breed originated in Wales in 1949 and was bred by Leslie Bonnet, a British Royal Air Officer. Mr. Bonnet developed the Welsh Harlequin when he hatched two mutual light-colored purebred Khaki Campbell ducklings. Mr. Bonnet used these two ducklings to breed what is now called the Gold variety of the Welsh Harlequin breed.

For the next 30 years, Mr. Bonnet distributed Welsh Harlequins worldwide, including selling some ducks to Eddie Grayson of Lancashire in 1963 and hatching eggs to John Fugate from Tennessee in 1968. These gentlemen would play a crucial part in the Welsh Harlequin breed’s existence and development in breeding today’s Welsh Harlequin.

In 1968, Leslie Bonnet lost his Welsh Harlequin flock to a fox attack. Mr. Bonnet contacted Eddie Grayson, who still had some of the original ducks that Leslie Bonnet had sold him in 1963. Mr. Grayson agreed to breed Bonnet’s original ducks, and the Welsh Harlequin was saved from extinction. Mr. Grayson later wrote a Standard for the breed.

The same year, John Fugate imported some hatching eggs from Leslie Bonnet to the U.S. By 1980, Fugate’s original imports were confined to two small flocks. Mr. Fugate imported eggs in 1982 to broaden the breeds’ gene pool and enlisted the help of Dave and Millie Holderead (Holderead’s Waterfowl Farm and author of Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks). Some of Mr. Fugate’s imported eggs hatched a new color, which Dave Holderead named Silver.

Silver was accepted into the American Poultry Standard of Perfection in 2001 and is the most popular color in the U.S.

Welsh Harlequin ducks

Color Varieties

Gold is the breed’s original color and the only color recognized in Great Britain. Gold Welsh Harlequins have no black pigment and sport bronze wing speculums in their feathering. Drakes have a green and bronze head with a white ring at the base of their neck.

Breast and shoulders are covered in showy mahogany feathers laced in white with a creamy white underbody. Legs and feet are orange, and bills vary from yellow to olive green. Gold females are considered fawn color, with a mid-brown rump. Like the drakes, females also have orange legs and feet, as well as an orange bill with brown spots. The lacing pattern on the wings gives the drakes and hens a lovely tortoiseshell look.

The most popular color in the U.S., silver drakes look like their wild mallard cousins. These drakes are true beauties, with shimmering green heads, silver bodies and blue wing speculums. Silver females are creamy white with black markings on their backs. Females also sport blue-wing speculums. Unlike their gold cousins, silver females’ bills and feet are black and fade to dark olive green during the non-laying season.

Khaki is the least popular of the three color variations and occurs rarely when an individual duckling hatches with the Khaki gene. These ducks look like their closely related cousins, the Khaki Campbell. While Khaki Welsh Harlequins may not sport the dazzling feather patterns of the gold and silver varieties, these ducks are a beautiful brown and have a beauty all their own.

Temperament

A Welsh Harlequin’s temperament may be one of the leading causes for these ducks’ growing popularity. When handled daily as ducklings and throughout their adult years, Welsh Harlequins are calm, not easily frightened, and considered one of the calmest duck breeds.

Unlike other lightweight duck breeds, this breed is ideal for family pets and good with children.  Both drakes and ducks (females) have happy-go-lucky personalities, are easily tamed, and are affectionate with their families. Welsh Harlequins are entertaining ducks who love being with their favorite human. While they don’t always like being picked up as adults, they love to follow you around the yard. They have a reserved and quiet nature around strangers.

If you’re raising ducks for family pets, choosing to raise Welsh Harlequin ducklings versus purchasing adult birds is advised.

Welsh Harlequin ducks

Egg Production

Welsh Harlequin females were bred to be excellent layers, just like their Khaki Campbell cousins. But the egg production has declined over the years. Today, Welsh Harlequins lay an average of 100 to 200 eggs annually.

While most females lay pearly white eggs, a few occasionally lay eggs tinted in blue or green.

Interesting Facts

Welsh Harlequins are considered one of the most broody duck breeds recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA).

Ducklings can be sexed by the color of their bills when hatched with a 90 percent accuracy, with drakes sporting a dark bill and females a lighter color bill with a dark tip.

Drakes have a high libido, so avoid housing multiple drakes with the females.

There are many reasons for the Welsh Harlequins’ growing popularity, from excellent egg production to mothering skills. But their award-winning personalities might make them one of the most popular duck breeds today.

Categories
Podcast

Episode 66: Li Schmidt

Hobby Farms Presents: Growing Good

Taiwanese-American farmer Li Schmidt talks about growing Asian-heritage crops, growing crops for seeds, small-scale farming in Taiwan and preserving cultural foodways.

Hear about how Li started her Cultural Roots Nursery, in Northern California, in 2020, as a result of the pandemic rather than in spite of it. Most of Li’s customers are Asian American and have encouraged her to grow a broad range of plants from the diaspora community, leading to Li pursuing some creative seed sourcing in addition to looking to a handful of US-based seed companies. Learn how Li has figured out how to grow these mostly subtropical plants in the hot, dry climate of California’s Central Valley.

Check out a short list of Cultural Roots Nursery’s crops:

  • Bitter melon
  • Long beans
  • Taiwanese basil
  • Shiso
  • Bo Ju Hua chrysanthemum tea plant
  • Taro
  • Ginger
  • Goji berries
  • Tong Ho chrysanthemum greens

Li talks about traveling in Taiwan, visiting with farmers and chefs, and learning about the food system and farming there. Hear about the accessible small-scale crop processing and infrastructure there and how this interplays with the food culture there. Li gets into the importance of cultural foodways to her work and way of living.

Learn also about the California Farmer Justice Collaborative, which started out as a group formed to pass California’s Farmer Equity Act in 2017 and now focuses on farmer support and legislation. And Li tells us about the Cal Ag Roots storytelling project that she works on with the California Institute for Rural Studies, unearthing the historical roots of agriculture in California.

Listen to the end to hear Li’s favorite meal using the Asian-heritage foods that she grows.

 

Categories
Farm & Garden Foraging

Turkey Tail Mushrooms Are Colorful, Beneficial

turkey tail mushrooms mushroom
Barbora Batokova/Adobe Stock

Turkey tail mushrooms look like turkey tails! Thankfully their lookalikes are not harmful, though they don’t have the benefits that we’re looking for in Trametes versicolor. “Versicolor” means many colors, and these mushrooms do come in many colors, always looking like a turkey’s tail.

You’ll want to check out these handy step-by-step instructions for identifying turkey tails from other species that look like them. When they are fresh, their colors are so bright, especially the reds and blues.

They can often be found quite dry, though they can also appear dry when they are, in fact, fresh. You’ll find turkey tail mushrooms on many kinds of wood (including your firewood piles), and, in the forest, large flushes are common on fallen limbs laying along the ground. You can even find turkey tail mushrooms in suburban backyards! They seem to be everywhere in the U.S. that mushrooms can grow.

Storage—With or Without Beetles

Turkey tail mushrooms store well in paper sacks. If your finds are somewhat aged, there may be beetles living inside. These bugs will start breaking them the mushrooms and, with only a few small holes or places where they have been chewed, you may not notice as you harvest. If you do notice, try to leave those for the beetles and hunt for a fresher flush.

If beetles have secretly gotten to them, you’ll know it eventually. They’ll make more and more little tiny holes and chewed places around the edges, and even send little beetles crawling out of your storage sacks.

I simply freeze them in that event. This will stop the beetles from eating the harvest all by themselves. The I double my amounts for brews with that batch, since they’ve been partially harvested already.

Preparing Turkey Tail Mushrooms

Many different mushrooms are praised and prized for their special compounds. Turkey tail is a fine substitute for harder-to-find species such as reishi and chagga, and the species is much more accessible here in the scrubby overgrazed woods of my Kentucky home.

I make a winter tea from turkey tails, and the process for fresh or dried is the same—a low, low, low simmer over hours (or overnight). Some of these most desirable compounds need heat and time, coupled with solubility in water, to break down the cell walls that protect them from being digested in our bodies. As we gain access to these polysaccharides via a long hot water bath, our bodies also gain access to their effects.

A tea made from turkey tail mushrooms might taste yummy or bland, depending on the season, freshness of the mushroom being harvested, and time spent brewing it. The flavor is subtle enough to blend easily into soups and meld with other tea ingredients.

At the first sign of any winter wellness imbalances, we brew up turkey tail tea in our household for everyone. jim mcdonald speaks of the effects of long-brewed turkey tail (along with reishi and other mushrooms) with a beautiful analogy about our immune system.

Some elements of our immune systems come to alarm quickly and actively, causing multiple byproducts in our systems. The immune system stimulation gained from mushrooms is not that—this tea is not for emergencies but, rather, more like a training or an exercise. It will remind your immune system how to function by sending certain beneficial messages.

jim pointed me to this scientific article making a case for turkey tail as an immune toner.

I blend the dried mushrooms in a spice grinder and grind to a powder, then mix it with seaweeds and other dried mushrooms (such as reishi, chicken of the woods, chagga, shiitake or oyster ) for medicinal soup broths.

As I say, turkey tail plays well with others. Enjoy it on its own or with other ingredients. It’s an excellent first mushroom to look for, but (as always) be sure you have a knowledgeable forager who has found and identified them before.

I like to hunt for turkey tail mushrooms around the time that I see other people hunting for wild turkeys. This kind of turkey, however, is much easier to catch!

Categories
Crops & Gardening Equipment Farm & Garden

4 Farming Successes I’m Thankful For In 2023

thankful farm farms farming
DanielJohnson

Happy Thanksgiving!

Every year since 2016, I’ve taken the week before Thanksgiving Day to look back on a year of farming and count a few things I’m thankful for. Since we can never spend too much time counting our blessings, I’m keeping the trend rolling for an eighth straight year, sharing a handful of the farming-related successes I’m thankful for in 2023.

If you feel like joining in, please do so and share your lists with us online!

To kick things off, I’m thankful for…

Welded Wire to Keep Out Deer

It’s been a challenge to keep deer out of my orchard this year. One stubborn deer has learned how to nose underneath the black plastic fence that surrounds the orchard on three sides. And when I tried to pin down the bottom of the fence more securely, the deer learned how to break holes in the plastic and climb right through.

Fortunately, the fourth side of my orchard—the front side—is protected by an impenetrable barrier of wood and welded wire. There’s no pushing through or underneath welded wire, so I spent much of autumn adding welded wire to the other three sides of my orchard fence.

It’s a time-consuming project, but well worth the effort. I haven’t finished yet (there’s a lot of ground to cover), but by focusing on fence sections where deer were repeatedly entering and exiting, I’ve dramatically reduced instances of deer infiltrating my orchard. And for that, I’m very thankful.

Hoses for Watering Distant Garden Beds

My orchard is located about 600 feet away from the nearest water source, which makes getting large quantities of water to the orchard a bit tricky. A 35-gallon leg tank has taken good care of my trees for years (once they’re established, they don’t need much water), but my raised garden beds filled with corn and pumpkins are another matter entirely.

This year, I purchased enough garden hoses to span the 600 feet and deliver all the water I need to my orchard garden beds. Since the orchard is located downhill from the water source, water pressure is excellent, even over such a lengthy distance. With more water than in the past, my corn beds produced abundantly and my pumpkins enjoyed their best year ever. I only wish I’d invested in hoses sooner.

Planting New Fruit & Nut Tree Varieties

After a couple of quiet planting years, I added several new varieties of fruit and nut trees to my orchard. Two hazelnut trees. Gala, Fireside and SnowSweet apples. A Sweet Cherry Pie cherry. Plus more Hazen and Prairie Magic apple trees, which are two of my favorite varieties.

I purchased the Fireside apple in a hefty 25-gallon pot, and it was such a large tree it already had an apple—which tasted excellent, by the way. I won’t be surprised if it fruits again next year, and down the road I’m excited to enjoyed fruit and nuts from all these new varieties.

An Awesome Apple Tasting Party

My Fireside apple wasn’t the only tree that fruited this year. Many of the older trees in my orchard had their best years to date, so my apple harvest was memorable.

To celebrate, I invited family and friends to an apple tasting party in my orchard. We took a hay ride to the entrance, enjoyed a pleasant walk to visit each tree, and then settled down at a picnic table to rank the taste of a dozen different apple varieties. It made for a wonderful afternoon.

What farming experiences are you thankful for this year?

Categories
Animals Farm & Garden Large Animals

Personable Zebu Cattle Gain Popularity On Homesteads

zebu cattle
Chris and Chrissy, miniature zebu owners

Two years ago, Chris and Chrissy added miniature zebus, which are meat and milk cows originally developed in India, to their Texas menagerie. Now a bull named Dutton, and two heifers named Hazel and Dixie, are part of their tribe.  

“We wanted to be self-sustaining, and part of that involves milk to make cheese, yogurt and butter,” Chris says of himself and his wife. “We already have a garden, compost and chickens.” 

“Mini zebus are parasite and disease resistant,” says Chrissy. “Our original intention was to breed and milk them. Zebus mature late. They usually don’t go into heat until 2.5 years old, which is the age ours are now.” 

The zebu dates back to 6000 B.C. and are the world’s oldest naturally occurring miniature breed. Because of their Indian origins, they are heat oriented, which works well in Texas. They have fatty shoulder humps, large dewlaps and sometimes drooping ears. Their milk contains A2 protein, which is easier to digest for the lactose intolerant. 

zebu cattle
Carol Mowdy Bond

Zebus Are Trainable Cattle

“Neither of us knew about cattle,” Chrissy says. “So I trained them like dogs. Now I can tell them things, and give them hand signals, and they respond. I say ‘cookie’ and they come running. Their cookies are horse treats. We call them and clap our hands, and they’ll come to us.” 

Zebus just need a roof and three walls for protection from wind and rain as they don’t like to be cold or wet. But due to their high coyote and bobcat population, Chris and Chrissy closed the cows in their barn starting the first night, using a bit of organic cattle maintenance feed grain as incentive to enter the barn. 

“They know I come to the barn at night, and I’ll give them a little bit of grain,” Chris says. “So if it starts getting dark, and we haven’t taken them to the barn yet, they go in the barn and wait for us.” 

zebu cattle
Carol Mowdy Bond

“Yard Dogs”

The zebu minis enjoy plenty of forage for grazing, supplemental hay when needed and cow minerals. They have access to lots of water and land to roam. As well, to cut down on flies, the couple purchases Fly Predators, are a mixture of insect species that eat flies during the pupa stage. They also bring in a farrier for hoof maintenance, shots, deworming and other upkeep. 

“They’re sometimes called ‘yard dogs,'” Chrissy says. “They’re pets like our dogs and cats. They’re a lot more fun than I thought they would be.” 

Inquisitive and mischievous, Chris and Chrissy’s cows snoop through boxes in the garage, open packages of chicken feed, and pull other shenanigans.  

“They’re chilled out and playful,” Chris says. “When a load of sand or dirt is delivered, they run up and down the piles, jump and kick, and get  excited. You leave your car trunk open, and they’ll nose through that. The bull grabs the porch swing pillow and plays with it, knocking it around the front yard. The garbage can has turned into a game.” 

And during inclement weather, the cows press their faces against the front porch glass door to look into the house. They also curl up on the porch rug. 

“But people need to know there are risks,” Chris says. “You have to be responsible and smart, and learn your animal’s demeanor. You can get hurt by a bull, and a heifer as well.” 

The couple bought their minis from H. Barrera Ranch near Houston, Texas. A third generation farmer, owner Homero Barrera sells mini zebus to a lot of hobby farmers. Thus far, his customers live in Washington, D.C., plus 17 states from Washington to California and Hawaii, and Florida to Massachusetts. 

zebu cattle
Carol Mowdy Bond

“They’re less intimidating for children, and easier to handle by yourself,” Barrera says. “They’re like goats. They’ll eat whatever, so you don’t need the best pasture. The more time you work with them, the more tame they usually become.

“At the pandemic’s onset, people moved to small acreages to become hobby farmers. You can put three mini cows where you could otherwise only keep one full-size cow. Some people buy them for agriculture exemptions. Plus, you make more money on small, registered cows than on full-size cows.”  

Parents often start youngsters with mini zebus for 4-H, until they feel comfortable with full-size livestock. However, Barrera also has customers who buy his minis for pets. And all his buyers love the multi-colored, dappled look, which is similar to Appaloosa horses. 

Registered with the American Miniature Zebu Association, Barrera’s pure, show-quality herd has produced 231 calves since 2016. His growing zebu sales, including repeat customers, come through social media, word of mouth and his website.  

Barrera also has an Angus operation. And he has an embryo transfer program for his Brahman cattle. This year one of his Brahmans was the  second highest-selling animal at a prestigious sale. Find Barrera at hbarreraranch.com. 

Categories
Animals Farm & Garden Large Animals

A Shepherd’s Guide To Sheep Minerals 

sheep minerals
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You’re a shepherd, and you’ve recently embarked on the exciting journey of breeding season with your flock. As you bring your ewes and ram together in one pasture, it’s easy to wonder if you are meeting all of their nutritional needs. 

I think it’s important to look at the specific nutritional requirements of sheep, a topic often overlooked in the hustle and bustle of daily shepherding. Your sheep can thrive on pasture, grain and clean water, but don’t underestimate the importance of vitamin and mineral supplementation.  

For example, your ewes may be bred, but the fetuses are only growing a small amount during the first and second trimester. Ewes can be fed on pasture or a good quality grass hay. According to Purina Mills, ewes should be fed a sheep mineral and vitamin mix to complement the nutrient content of the forages fed. 

Later in the gestation period, however, the ewes will need a substantial increase in their energy and protein requirements. The ram will also need top-drawer nutrition during breeding season, when they can actually lose up to 12 percent of their body weight! 

Also, never forget that keeping clean, fresh water available to them all the time is really essential. 

Minerals by the Book 

The Merck Veterinary Manual provides valuable insights into the essential minerals your sheep need: 

  • Salt (Sodium and Chlorine): Vital for overall strength, health, lactation and reproduction. 
  • Calcium and Phosphorus: The amounts vary based on pasture composition, but supplementation is crucial. 
  • Magnesium and Sulfur: Low magnesium can lead to “grass tetany,” and sulfur is essential for wool and hair growth. 
  • Potassium: Critical for optimal growth, particularly among growing lambs. 
  • Trace Minerals (Cobalt, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Zinc, Selenium): Often insufficient in forage alone, necessitating supplementation. 

The reality of copper toxicity, however, highlights the importance of choosing a mineral mix specifically designed for sheep. While copper is necessary for sheep health, excess amounts can be harmful. Opting for a well-balanced mixture tailored for your flock minimizes the risk. 

Delivery Method: Loose or Block?

Now we have to ask the question: Are loose minerals or mineral blocks better?

The Virginia Cooperative Extension recommends loose minerals. While mineral blocks resist weathering, they can be tough for sheep to access. The hardness designed to shed rainwater poses challenges for your flock, and there’s the added risk of broken teeth from gnawing.

The key is providing minerals in a form that allows sheep to consume them easily whenever they need to. After all, you really don’t want potential dental issues with your flock. 

Here’s a pro tip: Store the pan of minerals in a covered place to shield it from rain or snow. Countless times, a bowl of watery minerals greeted me, untouched by the flock. Now, with the pans sheltered in the covered shed where the sheep bed down at night, they consistently find and consume them. 

Buy Right

When purchasing sheep minerals, scrutinize the labels. The cheapest option is not always the right option and may not offer the necessary ingredients for your flock’s health. It’s an investment in your flock’s well-being, and skimping on quality can have long-term consequences. 

Ensuring your flock receives the nutrients they need is the key to their growth, vitality and reproductive success. As a shepherd, you hold the well-being of your flock in your hands—make those hands knowledgeable and caring. 

Categories
Crops & Gardening Farm & Garden Homesteading

5 Must-Do Garden Tasks For Growers In November

garden gardening November
Sebastian/Adobe Stock

By Resh Gala, author, Vegetable Gardening Made Easy: Simple Tips & Tricks to Grow Your Best Garden Ever available December 19, 2023, published by Cool Springs Press

Clean Up the Garden 

The most important gardening task in November is to clean up your garden, removing any dying, diseased, decaying plant matter and debris such as fallen or rotting fruits and vegetables. Compost what you can and discard the rest. This will ensure that your garden stays healthy and looks attractive, too.

You can leave flowering herbs and plants such as basil, dill and kale in your garden to feed wildlife, birds and insects in winter. 

Disconnect Watering Pipes/ Turn Off Irrigation/ Empty Rain Barrels 

Don’t forget to disconnect and drain your watering hoses in winter—otherwise you will risk pipes bursting during a freeze. Same goes for drip irrigation. Be sure to turn it off in winter before temperatures fall below freezing.

Empty all rain barrels and water fountains to prevent cracking and damage. 

Add Compost or Organic Matter to Soil 

If there’s one task that you absolutely must do in fall, it’s to add compost or organic matter to your soil, especially to your vegetable garden. Add 3 to 4 inches of homemade compost, mushroom compost or leaf mold (made with decaying leaves) on top of your soil.

This will not only prevent soil erosion and compaction but will be a source of food for earthworms and beneficial soil microbes in winter. The best part is that, as the compost further breaks down over the winter months, it releases nutrients into the soil, making it a rich and healthy environment to grow food in spring. 

Clean Your Tools 

November is also a good time to make sure your garden tools are in good condition before you store them away for winter. Disinfect them by simply washing with soap and warm water.

If they are rusted, soak them overnight in some distilled white vinegar. Scrub off the rust the next day using a steel wool pad, soap and water. Finally, wipe the blades with a soft cloth that has been dipped in some vegetable oil to restore their shine and improve their longevity. 

Bring in Cold-Sensitive Plants

If you’re growing citrus or fruit trees such as lemons, kumquats or figs, it’s important to bring them indoors for winter as they will struggle when temperatures drop below 45 degrees F. Be sure to inspect plants for pests and diseases (especially on the underside of leaves). Hose down the plants with water and wipe leaves clean with a soft cloth before bringing it indoors.

Place plants in a greenhouse or warm sunny location, preferably with a humidifier in the room to help them get acclimated to the new environment. 

As temperatures start to drop in November, you will notice that plants will struggle to grow and thrive, and this can make your garden look unsightly. It’s important to keep your growing clean and healthy, as decaying plant matter can harbor unwanted pests and diseases, and can become a hiding spot for predators like rats and snakes too. 

What to Avoid Doing

Avoid pruning fruit trees in fall. The purpose of pruning is to help the plant redirect its energy into producing new growth and fruits. In winter growth slows down significantly and sometimes even stops temporarily (in below freezing conditions). Hence pruning won’t be as effective and can even harm the plant.

Instead, the best time to prune your fruit trees is in late winter, right before spring time, which will encourage it to grow again.